It's been an exciting start to WTA Lyon, and the action continues on Tuesday with Garcia vs Martincova and Blinkova vs Andreeva.
I’ve found betting value on the two matches, and will dive into them below.
Read on for Lyon tennis odds and picks.
Note: Match times are subject to change. Read here for tips on viewing tennis matches and seeing tennis odds.
Anna Blinkova (-178) vs. Erika Andreeva (+132)
5:30 a.m. ET
Anna Blinkova made the semifinals of Hobart during the Australian swing, but fell 4-6, 6-3, 2-6 to Madison Keys in the first round of the Australian Open. She won just 41% of her service points against Keys and was broken nine times. However, the Russian won 52% of her return points, breaking on eight occasions.
Blinkova won the Transylvania Open last season on indoor hard courts and will enjoy the conditions in Lyon. In her career, Blinkova is 170-108 on hard courts, including a 28-15 record last season. Her serve is not a strength, but she is a strong baseline player. Blinkova balances offense and defense nicely, playing with controlled aggression when given the opportunity to do so. The Russian also plays with consistent depth and moves well.
Erika Andreeva qualified for Lyon, defeating a wayward Diane Parry 6-4, 6-3 in the final qualifying round. Andreeva won 74% of her service points and wasn't broken all match.
She started the season 3-3 before her Lyon qualifying campaign. The Russian is 40-21 as a professional on hard courts, which encompasses a 13-9 record last year. Andreeva is solid from the baseline, has a high tennis IQ and gets good depth on her groundstrokes. But, her power game is lacking.
Andreeva was not impressive to start the season, as she wasn't in control of her game. And while she looked better in Lyon qualifying, the match against Parry was more about the Frenchwoman's low level than anything else.
Blinkova has more power than Andreeva, while also having the ability to match her in consistency. She can hang with Andreeva in long rallies and utilize her improving controlled aggression to put away Andreeva, whereas Andreeva's ability to create offense is less developed.
When looking at Elo ratings, Blinkova's overall Elo is 210.7 points higher than Andreeva's, while her hard-court Elo is 210.2 points higher.
Pick: Blinkova -2.5 games (-118 via FanDuel)
Caroline Garcia (-800) vs. Tereza Martincova (+470)
11:30 a.m. ET
Caroline Garcia didn't meet expectations at the Australian Open, losing to Magda Linette 6-7(3), 4-6 in the fourth round. While Garcia won 73% of her first serves, she only put 49% of them into play, and won just 39% of her second serves.
She had an incredible 2022 season, going 46-20 including a 25-14 hard-court record. This was capped off with the Frenchwoman winning the WTA Finals on indoor hard courts. When she's playing well, Garcia can overwhelm her opponents with her serve and aggressive groundstrokes, particularly her forehand.
However, Garcia has been more hit-or-miss in 2023, often rushing points and trying to hit winners in situations where it wasn't the best option.
Tereza Martincova had a rough draw at the Australian Open, falling to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka 1-6, 4-6 in the first round. Martincova struggled against Sabalenka's relentless attack, winning just 53% of her service points and 29% of her return points. But, anyone taking on Sabalenka in Melbourne was bound to struggle.
The loss to Sabalenka puts Martincova at 2-3 on the season. However, Martincova is historically a strong hard-court player, going 212-154 on hard in her career. She hits her spots on serve and absorbs pace well. The Czech is solid from the baseline, while not letting her opponents push her around too much.
Garcia is still a deserved favorite in this match, as she has the much better serve, significantly more power from the baseline and is playing at home.
But, she has not been the same player this season as she was in 2022, and the line doesn't reflect this. The Frenchwoman still hits some spectacular, aggressive shots, but she has shown less patience on the court and has increasingly been spraying unforced errors from the baseline.
Martincova is consistent and is strong at absorbing pace, which will force Garcia to play extra balls. Garcia will overhit and keep this match closer than expected.
Pick: Martincova +5.5 games (-130 via FanDuel)
